


The Down and Dirty Six

by iwasntyeti, McCoytotheMax



Category: Six of Crows Series - Leigh Bardugo
Genre: ALL THE ANGST, Maybe a little Inej Ghafa/Nina Zenik, Multi, Rockstars, band au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-09
Updated: 2018-04-12
Packaged: 2019-01-11 01:16:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,945
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12311769
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iwasntyeti/pseuds/iwasntyeti, https://archiveofourown.org/users/McCoytotheMax/pseuds/McCoytotheMax
Summary: The struggle between the Dime Lions and the Down and Dirty Six has been going on for a couple years now. The two bands try to compete for the number one spot of Band rankings is Ketterdam City!Or the Band AU that nobody thought they wanted.





	1. Jesper

_Falling down down down_  
_Don’t let them crush you to the ground’_  
_Push on on on_  
_Don’t let them con you_  
_Keep going strong_  
_Until the long day ends_  
_~ Lyrics from the Dregs of Life by the Down and Dirty Six_

 

 

 

“The Down and Dirty Six is a big hit with the youth of Ketterdam City. Their songs range from deep and dark to light and uplifting! Their songs gain popularity every time they are played on the radio. They started small with playing in the renowned Crow and Cup but quickly climbed the popularity ladder with their very successful first album, the Dregs of Life. Since then their fan-base has grown considerably. Being second only to the Dime Lions, they continue to fight their way to the top. The Down and Dirty Six will be releasing a new album later this year titled Crooked to the Core. Many are asking if the band will finally beat the Dime Lions or if they still be down by 100 fans. Only time will tell as the two bands go head to head.”

******

Jesper leaned back in his chair and plopped his long legs on the large oak desk in front of him. A grin was plastered on his lips as he heard the latest gossip in the Ketterdam news paper. Kaz tossed the paper onto his desk and looked at each of them squarely in the face. With his serious face; let’s be honest here he always has a serious face; Kaz said, “The whole of Ketterdam is watching us to see what our next movie will be. So how do we appeal to more than one genre group? Anyone?”

“Change our look?” Nina suggested as she twirled her long brown hair around her fingers in thought.

“Maybe teach people what real music sounds like?” Jesper shrugged.

“Jes, everyone has a favorite type of music it’s not just the same genre.” Wylan said as he elbowed Jesper in the ribs lightly.

Matthias and Kuwei just rolled their eyes and waited for the answer quietly. Kaz turned his head to look at Inej and asked the question with the rise of one eyebrow. She replied with a slight shrug and pointed out, “Maybe we should switch up our music style every once and awhile.” A chorus of “Ooohs” and head nodding followed the voiced idea. Kaz looked at her approvingly, gave a curt nod and said, “Exactly. We should…”

“I knew it had something to do with style! You’re so smart Inej!” Nina butted in. She gathered Inej up into her arms and gave her a rib crushing hug. Kaz face only gave the slight indication of annoyance as he cleared his throat and continued, “As I was saying we should change up the music style just as Inej had said. Any objections? No? Good. Now then let’s get to work.” With that final sentence the band split up to grab their instruments and head to the practice room.

There was no question about it, Jesper thought, they would crush the Dime Lions in sales when their new CD came out. It was gonna be the bomb, or so he thought. Hey if they poured their heart, sweat, and blood into this it just might make number one in hits. Course how hard Kaz ran his team it was possible it would push them over the hundred fans they needed to make number one.

Jesper found his guitar case leaning against a wall of an empty practice room. Swiftly and skillfully he popped the lid open and took out his dark tiger wood electric guitar. The pickguard looked like the cogs inside a clock. He gave it an experimental strum, playing a simple G chord. Even though it wasn’t loud he could still hear that his E string, or his 6th string, was a little bit out of tune. He quickly adjusted it and went to the large practice room where they all go to work on songs.

At the front of the room Inej and Nina were doing some simple voice warm ups like fire alarms and oo’s. To the far left of the room, by the wall, Kuwei sat at his black Suzuki electric keyboard cracking his knuckles and doing the scales on the Circle of 5ths. Matthias was the one closest to the door tuning his ocean blue bass with a silver tree design on the pickguard, he adjusted his instrument one string at a time. Kaz sat at his black drum kit stretching out his arms and legs; he even twirled his sticks to warm up his hands.

Through a window Jesper could see Wylan, the sound guy. He was checking all the sound levels and making sure all the mics were on. Wylan was always so adorable when he had his concentrating face on. He was definitely cuter when he is smart, Jesper decided.

After standing in the door staring at those lovely red curls and those eyes like the clear Zemeni blue sky, Jesper made his way over to where Kuwei was and stood next to him but up a couple steps like they would in a concert setting. Cracking his knuckles, he looked back to Kaz who looked at Wylan and nodded. It was time to start practice. Wylan nodded back to Kaz, and Kaz called out, “1… 2… 1, 2, 3, 4!” Foot tapping, Jesper started the groove with an easy C chord.

Jesper loved the feel of the metal strings of his guitar under his fingertips. He loved the thrill of performing in front of a crowd. Jesper never got nervous when he played for a large crowd, in fact he normally got an adrenaline rush. He loved the excitement that the audience put out when they played some of their most popular songs or when they introduced a new song as a sneak peek at their new album, Crooked to the Core.

They jammed for about an hour before Kuwei called for a stop, then proceeded to yell at Wylan for making him the least heard out of all the band members. Wylan stood there taking all the yelling, looking down at his shoes as he twisted his shirt into knots. Kaz called for a time out so everyone could get some water and cool of for a bit. Kuwei stormed out of the room in an angry huff.  
They all knew that Kuwei was making it all up. He was just frustrated and took it out on the smallest one that didn’t know how to stand up for himself. As each of the band members left one by one, they each let Wylan know that it was gonna be ok. Matthias patted him on the shoulder, Nina gave him a light hug, Inej squeezed his hand lightly, and Kaz gave him a small nod.

Now only Jesper was left in the room and Wylan hadn’t moved from his spot. Jesper couldn’t help but feel bad for the poor kid. Wylan was the best sound guy they could find. Jesper wanted to say something but didn’t know how to word what he was thinking without being condescending. So instead of saying anything he decided to say nothing. He turned and slowly walked out of the room, still pondering what he could have said. Outside the room Kuwei waited for Jesper, leaning against the wall by the door.

“What took you so long Jesper? Trying to talk to that little nobody again? We both know I'm far more good looking then he is.” Kuwei pushed off the wall to to stand face to face with Jesper. Grabbing the front of Jesper’s shirt, Kuwei brought him down closer to his height and kissed Jesper, deep and sloppy. Jesper returned the kiss half-heartedly. Out of the corner of his eye, Jesper glimpsed the depressed face of Wylan, tears in his gorgeous blue eyes.

The sound of things crashing to the floor and the slam of a door forced Kuwei and Jesper to part. Jesper looked towards the Studio with a curiosity sparking his imagination. He heard a slight giggle from Kuwei, and turned his head just in time to see Kuwei’s back as he sauntered out of the recording studio. Curiosity still tugged at the edges of Jesper’s mind. He debated it for a few minutes but ended up giving into his need to know.

As he entered the room, Jesper noted that the majority of the bands equipment had been put away by their personal musicians. The control and sound room seemed fine, with nothing out of place other than the drumstick Kaz had snapped during their rehearsal. He walked out of the room and towards the small tech booth where Wylan’s sound stuff was. The glass on the window that looked out onto the practice room had a small crack in it, small enough that it wasn’t visible in the practice room unless you were looking for it. The window was a thick sheet of glass and the only way it could get damaged was if it had been hit with great force. “Curiouser and curiouser...” Jesper mumbled under his breath.


	2. Wylan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wylan on a manhunt to pay someone in Waffles. Sounds delicious to me!

Wylan hadn’t realized that he was crying until he saw a tear land on the converse that he was wearing. He hadn’t even realized that he was the only one left in the room. Wylan hadn’t felt the reassuring hands or small words of kindness he knew would come from Inej and Nina. He hadn’t even realized that Jesper had debated giving him a hug for a solid ten minutes.

Wylan quickly wiped the tear away with the heel of his hand. He was determined to never show weakness. He had learned that the hard way from his Father, Jan Van Eck. He had learned that if you show weakness people would find away to use it against you, so instead of showing it, bottle it up inside, hide it so that no one will ever know. And that is exactly what Wylan did.

After he felt that he was composed enough, he looked up. That was a dead mistake. Wylan had looked up just in time to see Kuwei pull Jesper down to his short level and kiss him with sloppy determination to get what he wanted. And he did, he got exactly what he wanted, to hurt the poor soul that stood in Wylan’s place that very minute.

Wylan’s face got bright red, and he turned to away, running out of the practice room and into the sound booth. He stood in the middle of the small room heaving in large lung fulls of air to try to calm down. Wylan looked up to see if anyone had followed him, and that’s when he saw the most awful thing. He saw his reflection in the glass of the sound booth.

Wylan’s face was bright red, a stark contrast between his normal pale white, his eyes were red and puffy from tears he hadn’t caught in time. Was this really him? Does he always look this pathetic? In shear rage he knocked all the soundboard equipment off the small desk that it was sitting on, it hit the ground with a loud crack. Next, Wylan picked up the chair that belonged with the small desk and threw it at the glass of the sound booth. He could see a small fracture in the glass where the chair had hit it.

Wylan looked around at the destruction he had made. It looked like a tornado had swept through the small space, throwing the objects into random corners. He surveyed the aftermath, eyes catching on a picture that had been thrown to the floor. With shaking hands, he picked it up and flipped it over looking at the shattered frame. It was a picture drawn by his mother while she was in the hospital before she died. The remaining vestiges of his composure shattered, and he wept, all of his emotions flooding out at once. He ran out of the booth and through the backdoor of the studio to the alley beyond. He ran out onto the sidewalk and down the street, streaking through The Barrel toward The Slat, one of the apartment complexes in the area.

He ran block after block, his feet slamming down on the pavement. His goal to get away from the pain of Jesper, the taunting of Kuwei, and even the overwhelming emotions that threaten to swallow him whole. He ran as fast and as hard as his skinny legs could take him. He ran past The Slat, on accident, but decided to keep going. Wylan´s breath came in hard gasps as his lungs beat against his ribcage, like a monster trying to break free of its cage.

He hadn't really thought about where his legs were taking him after the Slat, but he found out his destination at his arrival. It was his mother´s grave. Wylan sat down at the headstone, pulled his knees up to his chin, took a shuddering breath and started talking to her. He often did this when he was upset or just needed to process all that was happening around him.

As Wylan sat there talking, the sky darkened and the heavy clouds started to rain. ¨As if my day couldn't get any worse.¨ Wylan sighed he just had the worst luck. Almost as if on que, a bolt of lightning flashed, and thunder rumbled. Wylan rolled his eyes, ¨Oh and it´s a thunderstorm too! Great.¨

Soaking, Wylan stood up and made his way back to the slat. It had just been one of those crazy days that was the normal for poor Wylan Van Eck.

                                                                             ********

The next day was a little more relaxing. Practice was smooth, with no hiccups or yellings. Wylan had walked into the sound booth and found that someone had cleaned up the mess he created, and even went so far as to get a new picture frame for his mom's artwork. Wylan decided that he was going to get this person a plate of waffles when he found out which person did it.

It looked like the handy work of either Nina or Inej but he wasn't sure. With the cleanup was a note that said, Be careful with your stuff. We kinda need it for practice. From Yours truly.

The note looked like something Kaz would do but the handwriting and the words didn't look or sound right. It could have been Matthias but he would never write ¨Yours truly¨ at the end of the note. Wylan crossed Kuwei right off the list when he saw the glare that was shot his way. He even crossed Jesper off the list. Jesper wouldn't have cared either way. He was just so nonchalant. Sure he was always tapping a foot or moving a hand but that was because he had way too much energy.

Wylan decided that the best course of action would be to ask them each individually. He started with Nina, feeling she would be the best one to answer his questions honestly if waffles was the price. After practice he went and found Nina, ¨Hey Nina! Can I ask you something real quick?¨

¨Of course you can! Anything for you Wylan dear.¨

¨Ok thanks. I'm trying to find out who fixed up the sound booth yesterday. There was a note too. I'm trying to find this person so I can pay them back in waffles.¨

¨Hmmmm. I don't think I was anywhere near the sound booth yesterday. But I will claim the Waffle reward any day of the week.¨

Ok so Nina wasn't the one to do it so next on the list was Inej. Wylan smiled back at Nina, thanked her for her time, and promised her some waffles another day. He moved to go find Inej, and when he did Wylan told her the same thing. Inej also denied being near the sound booth. Wylan mentally noted it, and moved on to find the next person on his list.

Matthias was in the practice room, putting away all the cords that went with his bass amp. Wylan took a deep breath, face determined to find the person that had cleaned up the sound booth for him. Mental preparation complete, Wylan went over to Matthias to ask his question.

“Hey Matthias?” The larger man turned slightly to show he was listening to the timid voice beside him.

“I’ve been wondering if you knew anything about the sound booth and its clean up?” Matthias just gave a puzzled look and a slight shake of his head and turned away, finishing up his work.

Wylan sighed. He had guessed before asking Matthias that the larger man had nothing to do with it. Now there were only 3 people left on the band list. Wylan wasn’t gonna ask Kuwei, that interaction would be pointless. Kuwei would just make some snide comment that made Wylan feel bad about his existence.

Wylan didn’t think that Jesper would have done it either. He would have been with Kuwei the whole night. Everyone knew that they were a thing, even the media did, playing it up to its fullest potential. Just the thought of Kuwei made Wylan feel bad about himself. No, Wylan decided, I don’t have to ask Jesper or Kuwei.

The last person on the list would be Kaz. Wylan had a pretty solid guess that Kaz didn’t do it but definitely knew about it. He guessed that Kaz knew who had cleaned up the soundbooth. Kaz had a knack for knowing everything that happened in the band.

Kaz was the secret one in the group. He knew everything about everyone but nobody knew anything about him. Anytime anyone asked a personal question, Kaz would shrug it off and change the subject like the question was never asked in the first place.  
Wylan, still determined to buy the nice person waffles, once again set off on his quest. Even if Kaz didn’t do it he would have valuable information as to who did do it. Crossing his fingers the whole way, Wylan found Kaz sitting in his office with his hands folded in front of him while he leaned back in the chair.  
Kaz just looked at Wylan waiting for him to make the first move. Wylan, didn’t have to say anything of course because Kaz already knew why he was here. But it was always more fun to play a little before getting serious.  
Releasing a sigh to relax his nerves, Wylan started to ask his question, “Good afternoon Kaz. I had a quick question for you…”

“Who cleaned up the soundbooth? It wasn’t me.”

“Why do you have to feel the need to-”

“Interrupt you? I already knew what you were going to ask. As I said, it wasn’t me.” Wylan sighed, dejected, but still determined to find out the truth.

“Then do you know who did.” Kaz smirked. Damn that scheming face. He knows who cleaned up the booth.

“Taking into account that I was probably your last pick in people to ask, excluding Kuwei, who do you think cleaned up the booth?” Why did he have to be so vague? It’s a simple yes or no question.

“Do you insist on talking in riddles?”

“I’m just trying to help you come to a conclusion.”

“You’re infuriating,” Wylan said, glaring at Kaz’s smug face.

“And you look miserable.”

Wylan rolled his eye’s and curtly replied. “Not my fault.”

“You shouldn’t let him get to you like that.”

“In the name of Ghezen and all of his works, do you ever stop. Just tell me who cleaned up the booth,” fumed Wylan. “I’ve already got Kuwei looking down on me for being a stupid idiot. I don’t need you doing it too.” Kaz erupted from his seat.

“You’re many things Wylan Van Eck, but an idiot isn’t one of them.”

“You’re just saying that to make me feel better.”

“No. You may be naive, but you’re not a dumb. And, if I ever hear that you called yourself that again, I’ll tell Jesper you kissed Kuwei.” Wylan gave Kaz a hard look. He sat back down.

“He’d never believe you.” Kaz shrugged.

“Then I’ll tell Kuwei you kissed Jesper. With tongue.” Wylan’s eyes blew wide, blush creeping across his cheeks. Kaz gave him a knowing look before continuing, “Did they leave a note or anything?”

Wylan took out the slip of paper and handed it to Kaz. He looked at it for a minute before getting up and rummaging around in a file cabinet. He pulled out a folder. It was dark green, a post-it note with Jespers name taped to the outside. Opening the folder, he took out staff paper and documents, examining them page by page. After the five minutes that felt like an eternity, he closed the folder and Wylan let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. Kaz looked up at him, a satisfied and knowing look in his eye.

“This is Jesper’s handwriting.” With those four simple words that left Kaz’s smirking lips, Wylan’s world came crashing down again. His head swirled with questions that probably not even Ghezen could answer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Sorry it’s been so long since we last updated. We try to make the chapters as long and amazin as possible. Also side note, we came up with this AU at 11 at night while playin Rock Band. We is crazy and love our little crows. To quote my co-author, “Let Wylan be angry 2017.” -Yeti
> 
> As always we appreciate comments. We’d like to make this work better for your entertainment! McCoy and Yeti out!


	3. Kaz

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Kaz is a sneaky weasel.

Kaz knew that Wylan was going to come into his office well before he actually did. It was all just a matter of waiting for him. Kaz was well aware of the soundbooth incident, amused by it in fact. Kaz knew everything about everyone, that wasn’t a secret. The true secret was how he got his information. Even the authors of this fanfiction didn’t know. But that of course, was all for the fun of the game. 

Kaz leaned back in his chair and propped his legs on the hard oak desk. A small smirk decorated his lips as he waited for the fun to start. He didn’t even need to practice today. He’d come into the studio to pick up some files and do some financial work that needed to be squared away, then be on his merry little way. He had expected to see Wylan burst in with demands, but what he hadn’t expected was how heated their conversation had become. 

Wylan stood there, gaping at him in disbelief. The blush that had crept across his cheeks, a bright pink, contrasted with the bright flame orange that was his hair. Kaz watched Wylan open his mouth as if to say something, but he immediately closed it. He looked like a fish underwater. Kaz’s smirk increased by a fraction of a hair at the look of utter ridiculousness that was Wylan Van Eck. 

Kaz loved the feeling that blowing a poor souls mind gave him. It gave him a twisted sense of empowerment. He always loved the power that knowing everything about everyone gave him. Kaz’s business was not only in being a killer -literally and figuratively- drum player, but he also dealt in secrets. Secrets always raised the stake of any game, making it more fun. The more you knew about the other person the higher the chance you are to win. It also made for a dangerous game. Most people were very protective of their secrets. 

Finally breaking the silence, Wylan let out a breath. “I need to sit down.”

“Don’t let me stop you,” Kaz replied sarcastically and with a questioning air he asked, “What are you going to do?” Wylan’s head turned toward him so fast he was afraid the poor kid would have whiplash. 

“What am I supposed to do? I can’t just go up to him and thank him. I’d stumble over the words and he’d just think I’m an idi-“ Kaz cut him off with a look. Wylan taking a breath, continued, “He’ll think me ungrateful.”

“He’ll think you’re ungrateful if you don’t thank him at all. If there’s one thing that Jesper takes pride in, its satisfaction. Both in other people as well as himself. It’ll do you both some good if you talk to him.” 

“It’s not that simple. Kuwei is glued to his hip and if I go up to Jesper, he’ll think something is up.” 

Kaz bit his lip, unsure of what to say next. He took a deep breath and said. “He already does.”

Wylan’s eyes blew wide and he swallowed. “He… he does.”

“Look, I’m not trying to play matchmaker, but we’ve noticed. We’ve seen the looks that you send Jesper when he’s not looking. We’ve seen how shy you get when he’s around. You’re not exactly subtle.” 

Wylan let out a little laugh. “And by ’we’ you mean Inej.”

“Well, I can’t be everywhere at once.” Kaz pulled out his phone and began looking at it, swiping and clicking through his calendar. “Here’s my olive branch. Kuwei is only staying until about noon today. Jesper is staying until about 4:30-5ish to work on his solo for the new song and to hopefully get some recording done. That gives you plenty of time to work on what you want to say to him.” Wylan let out a sigh. Please tell me that was to release some tension. Wylan, stood up from his chair and started toward the door. With one hand on the knob, he turned back toward Kaz. 

“Thank you Kaz.”

“Don’t mention it. Go collect yourself. I’ll text you if we need you for anything.” Wylan gave him a soft smile before turning back and leaving the room. Kaz pushed a hand through his hair. After a couple minutes, he stood up and collected the papers and put them back in their folder. Putting them back in the file cabinet, he shut it and turned back to his desk. The brightness of his phone’s screen caught his attention. 

If anybody asked, no, Kaz Brekker did not shriek nor did he jump and kick his desk upon seeing Inej, in all of her five foot three inch glory in the middle of his office. Especially considering that he hadn’t heard the door open or close. 

Kaz closed his eyes and took a deep steading breath to calm himself. Regaining his composure he stated, without emotion, “We need to put a bell on you.” 

“You wouldn’t dare.” Inej crosses her arms and came around to stand next to the desk. “I’ve texted you eight times in the past hour.” Inej paused. “I bought what you asked for.”

“You didn’t bring it did you?”

“No Dirtyhands. Of course not. You have a reputation to uphold.” Inej dropped something on his desk. 

Kaz rolled his eyes. “My place at seven o’clock. We can go to the cafe before hand and get some waffles.” 

“Whatever you say Kaz. See you tonight.” With that, Inej took her leave. 

Once she had closed the door behind her, he sat down again at his desk and picked up the object that Inej had dropped. It had circular base, thinning out at the top into a shape resembling a pyramid wrapped in aluminum foil. With a smile, he unwrapped the chocolate and popped it into his mouth. 

“And you call me cheesy.”

******

It was almost seven when Kaz finished at the studio. He had more paperwork than he had anticipated. Said paperwork also took longer to do than Kaz’s original thought. He shook his head lightly, stood up, grabbed his crow headed cain, and walked out of the building. He made a quick turn to lock the facility, and then walked off to his apartment. 

Luckily Kaz didn’t live far from the studio. He prefered to live close to work in case of emergencies or so in situations like this, he wasn’t late to meet Inej. Kaz and Inej met frequently for a little project of his that nobody in the band knew about. It was one of the many things that was kept secret. No one in the band knew it, except of course his trusted right hand, Inej. 

Kaz glanced down at his watch, and swore lightly under his breath, “Damn, ten minutes to seven. Inej is probably already there.” 

Kaz tried to quicken his pace as best as he could to make it to the apartment building. He briskly walked in to the building, gave a curt head nod to the desk man, and headed straight to the elevator. Kaz lived on the top floor because it was more secluded and it was quiet. Nobody above him making a rucuse and no screaming children below or next to him. It was the perfect place to rest in silence. 

The elevator dinged and slowly opened its doors to let its single passenger out onto the 25th Floor. He arrived at his front door at seven on the dot. As Kaz started unlocking his door, thinking Inej wasn’t there yet, he heard a voice from behind him, “What took you so long Kaz?”

“Gah! Again with sneaking. We really should put a bell on you.”

Inej cocked an eyebrow and just looked at him. Kaz chose to ignore the look and opened the apartment door. 

“I got here at seven on the dot. I’m not technically late. Paperwork took longer than anticipated. Did you bring the stuff I need?”

Inej still looking at him, held up a plastic shopping bag and stepped into the apartment. Gently she set it down on the counter and waited for Kaz to put down his briefcase that had still more paperwork and a laptop in it. He casually put it in one of the living rooms overstuffed chairs and turned back to Inej. 

“Good. Now, are you ready for Waffles?” Kaz asked. Inej gave a short nod before turning to leave the apartment. Kaz followed her out and locked the door before they both headed to the elevator together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Guys! We worked really hard on this chapter but it took us forever to write it because we wanted this to awesome, plus it was the holidays and it gets really busy durning this time. On that note, Happy Holidays!! This chapter is our gift to you guys. We will be working on the next chapter and post that as soon as possible. Thanks for all the comments we have gotten. We look forward to making this fic more enjoyable. Bye!


	4. Inej

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What could be in the plastic bag? In which waffle feasts and instagram pictures are taken.

First Inej than Kaz stepped into the elevator. Once they both were in, Inej pushed the ground floor button. A comfortable silence filled the small space as they waited for the elevator to reach its destination. Love Me Tender By Elvis Presley played softly in the background. They stopped on the 5th Floor to pick up another passenger and Inej asked politely which floor he was headed.

“ ‘M headed to the first floor. How bout you guys?”

A small smile graced her lips as Inej replied, “We are headed to the first floor as well. We are going to go grab some waffles at the waffle house just up the road.”

The man nodded his head knowingly and started to stroke his bread as though he was in deep thought. “So would this be a date? You guys do look kinda coupley.”

A light pink blush dusted Inej’s dark tan cheeks it was barely noticeable unless someone was directly looking for it. She saw Kaz move his fingers a little on the Crow headed cane. This was one of the many signs he was uncomfortable or nervous, probably the first one. She noticed how he continued to stare straight at the doors and not join in on the conversation.

Inej struggled to answer the strangers question. She had no idea what this thing was between her and Kaz. It wasn’t quite a dating relationship but it wasn’t a friendship. It wasn’t even a friend with benefits kind of thing. All she knew was whatever it was, was a living breathing thing that they didn’t talk about. Ever. It was their unspoken rule. Finally deciding to answer, Inej replied with, “Not really.”

The elevator fell silent again, except for the Elvis still playing in the background. The song had changed now from Love Me Tender to Let Me Be Your Teddy Bear. Inej wished desperately that the red numbers that told which floor they were on would tick faster. She needed an out from this awkward conversation, and what better way would an out appear in the form of open elevator doors sliding on there metal hinges. She counted down the floors, 3… 2… 1… Ding!

At that overantisapated sounds Inej grabbed Kaz’s elbow and rushed them out of the apartment complex and into the streets of Ketterdam without so much as a goodbye to the man riding the elevator with them. She continued to pull on his arm all the way to Wally’s Waffle Wearhouse. Kaz may have had a limp but he was pretty spry and had no trouble keeping up with his smaller, more flexible companion.

As soon as they sat down at an empty table the waiter had directed to them, Inej let out a little sigh, barely even noticeable to most. She new that Kaz had picked up on it and had said nothing like normal. It was how they rolled, she would make a little noise or face and Kaz would see it and not say a word. Inej felt that it might be nice every once and a while if he would just ask if she was ok, but no dice. That’s just not how he worked.

The waiter came back with two glasses of water and pulled out a notebook, “So what will you two be havin’ tonight?” Kaz looked at the waiter and said the magic words, “Two large stacks of Waffles one with powdered sugar and one with extra strawberries.”

Nodding, the waiter jotted it down and looked back up, “Alright two large waffle stacks comin’ right up.”

Inej knew she had a crazy look on her face but whenever the words large and waffle and extra strawberries were said in the same sentence, she couldn’t help but hungrily anticipate the feast that was coming her way.

Kaz gave a little smirk, “Somebody’s excited.”

“Kaz you know as well as I do, that you are equally as excited but just don’t show it out right. The only time you get this look is when payday rolls around and 40,000 Kruge lands on that hardwood desk of yours.” Inej could have sworn that his grinwidend a little more at the mention of Kruge. Sweet Ghezen this man was addicted. But to be fair, she did have a waffle addiction.

In no time at all Inej was stuffing her face with her large stack of waffles with extra strawberries. When it came to waffles, Inej was a beast and showed them no mercy. Kaz was a little more elegant and calculating. He always took pictures of his meal and whoever he was eating with. Let’s just say that Inej didn’t look as flattering as she would have liked in those pictures.

“Do you always have to take pictures of your food?” Inej looked up from her plate. “You’re just going to order it again the next time we come here.”

“It just looks better in a picture.” Kaz put his phone away.

“Is it safe to assume there is a less than flattering picture of me to go with it?”

Kaz shrugged. “That depends on whether or not the syrup dripping down your chin is flattering or not.” Inej grabbed a napkin and quickly wiped her chin.

“You’re insufferable.”

“You’re the one who agreed to coming here. We could have just ordered in.” Kaz went back to eating his meal, signaling the end of their witty conversation.

As the waffle feast came to a close, Kaz took the check and gave his card to the waiter, “I hope you guys had a great date.” Why was everyone assuming that she and Kaz were always on a date! Sure they weren’t necessarily just friends but that doesn’t mean that they were dating!

Kaz replied with a shrug of his shoulders, “Very much so. Thanks.” Then they left without so much of a trace of them ever being there.

On the walk back, Inej swore that she was still as red as an apple. Kaz hadn’t even denied it! Wait… What could it mean? She hoped that Kaz couldn’t hear the rapid thumping of her heart, that would be super embarrassing. Inej just wanted to get back to his apartment and get the whole thing done with so she could go home and talked to her roommate, Nina. She always knew what these kind of things meant.

They got to the apartment and Inej was surprised at how fast they had made it. Then again she was lost in thought. The good news was that her heart rate had slowed down considerably. The bad news was that they were at his apartment getting ready to do the thing.

Kaz swiftly took out the key, unlocked the door, and let the two of them in with one motion. Inej walked in and immediately flopped on the couch. As she slowly melted into the couch cushions, she heard a shuffle of the plastic bag on the counter and a rattle of its contents dumped onto the counter.

Kaz laid the objects in a neat row before going off to get his camera and camera stand. He came back and set it up, sitting at the counter. After he was finished opening the packages that the objects were in, he turned his head and cocked an eyebrow looking at Inej. With a swift jerk of his head, he motioned for her to join him at the counter in the other seat.

Reluctantly, Inej slide slow as molasses off the couch and padded over to the counter, before jumping up to get into the seat. Kaz had that annoying smirk he always did when she got in the chair. “Having trouble with those short legs?”

“Oh shut up and just get on with it.”

Kaz’s smirked was replaced with a wide grin, and he turned the camera on. “Hello again! It’s Dirtyhands here ready to give you another makeup tutorial! I have a guest here with us,Mini-But-Mighty! Go give her channel a look! She does crazy acrobatics and parkour over there. So today we are going to be doing a halloween eye makeup. I’ll be using two different pallets, along with black liquid eyeliner.”

“Get on with it, Dirtyhands.”

“Alright. Alright. Don’t move or I might mess this up.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Guys! I know its been a while since we last posted. We try to work on it and make it long for all of your guys enjoyment. It has been super busy over here with finals and school work. We try our hardest to write as fast as we can, but because we are writing this together, there are a lot of points we like to debate. Hope you guys like it and don't be afraid to comment. We love all the all the comments we get. We try to read and respond to every one. Thanks! Love you guys! Bye!!


	5. Nina

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Chick Flicks are watched and bets are made.

Matthias continued to spin slow circles on Nina’s arm. They were laid out on the couch watching movies. Tonights selection was “Dirty Dancing,” and Matthias was sitting with Nina slotted between his chest and shoulder.  

“Nobody puts baby in a corner.” said Nina, quoting the movie. 

Matthias poked her in the arm. “Why do we even watch movies? I’m pretty sure you could quote them all.”

Taking her focus off the tv, she looked up at Matthias’s face. “I have two obsessions, waffles and cheesy movies.” Looking back at the tv, she watched as Baby ran up and jumped into Johnny’s arms. “We should try and do that.”

“You might want to cut back on the waffles then.”

“Not going to happen. Besides, you know you know you could do it.” Matthias shrugged and shifted his weight on the couch. 

“It’s not a question of can I, it’s should I. I’d be afraid to drop you.”

“But you wouldn’t drop me. I know you wouldn’t.”

“Well, we don’t have a giant lake to practice in.” 

Nina rolled her eyes, and stood up as the credits rolled down the screen. “I’m going to go get more popcorn.” Matthias got up to follow her. 

“Are you planning on watching another one?”

“Well, I picked Dirty Dancing. It’s your turn.” 

“How about Princess Diaries?” Nina raised an eyebrow and put a bag of popcorn in the microwave.

“You, Matthias Benedik Helvar, want to watch Princess Diaries?” 

“Or the second one.” 

“You’re serious?”

“I guess you rubbed off on me.” Matthias went over to the cd book that held all of their movies, and took out Princess Diaries. He held it up and waved it at Nina. “We watching it or not?”

“Hell yeah, we’re watching it. Do you want to watch both?”

“Don’t we have a rehearsal tomorrow?” 

Nina took the popcorn out of the microwave and sat down on the couch. “Kaz won’t mind if we’re a few minutes late. Inej won’t mind if we stay up late either.” She heard the door open. “Speak of the devil.”

“You two aren’t being gross, are you?” asked Inej, her voice emulating from the foyer of the apartment. 

“I promise we’re not. Just watching chick movies.” Matthias replied with a smile.

Inej walked down the hall into the room where Nina was sitting. “You know we have a rehearsal tomorrow right?”

“We were just discussing that. Kaz won’t mind if we’re a little late. Nice makeup by the way.”

Inej clammed up and composed herself before replying. “Nina, you know he hates it when people are late.” Nina’s only reaction was an amused grin. Inej rolled her eyes. “Well you two stay up however late you want. I’m going to bed.” With that, Inej took her leave and went to her room.

“Ready for another movie?” asked Matthias. 

“Is Mia’s last name a pain to spell?” Matthias smiled as he picked up the remote and pressed play.

**********************************

Nina was not a morning person. She needed at least two cups of coffee, as well as a hot shower, if she had the time, and food of some kind, preferably baked goods, to even remotely emulate the basic definition of a human being in the morning. 

Nobody talked to Nina until all of those requirements had been checked off. Not even Matthias, who had braved through many of the storms of Nina’s presence. Today was another one of those mornings. After a light shake to Nina’s shoulder as well as dodging a fist and a pillow, he handed her a cup of coffee. Today was going to be a long day. 

As she came into practice later then what she had intended, about two hours later, with Matthias in tow, she received the a very poignant glare from Kaz. It was clear that he was not happy with her from the raised eyebrow to the tight line of his lips.  _ Fight me Brekker. Not all of us are practicing insomniacs.  _

“You’re late.” Said Kaz, breaking the silence. He gestured to the mic. “Inej was wondering when you’d show up.” 

Nina looks over at Inej with a questioning look. “Did you guys place bets?”

A smile crept across Kaz’s face. “Yeah. Jesper owes me ten bucks.” Looking over at Jesper, the expression of utter loathing on his face was a sight to behold, as well as the equally prominent bags under his eyes. Looking toward the soundbooth, the lights were off and Wylan’s presence was noticeably absent from the group. Kuwei was also absent, the lights inside his practice room turned off.  

With the air of a worried mother, she asked, “Where’s Wylan,” she paused, “and Kuwei for that matter?”  Jesper looked away and became extremely interested in tracing the pickguard on his guitar with his finger. _Did something happen yesterday?_  Instead of voicing her thoughts out loud, she stores them away and walks over to the microphone. “Who’ll be doing sound?” Kaz gestured to Matthias. With a sigh, he walked into the booth and turned on the equipment. There’s a short crackle of static from the speakers before Matthias’s voice emits.   
“We need to record vocals, and the drums for the new single.” Kaz walked over to his kit, adjusting the seat to its proper height and he unlocked the drum heads. Nina, Inej, and Jesper moved into the sound booth and took seats on the old brown leather couch across from the equipment. Matthias was noticeably uncomfortable in the small swivel chair. He adjusted the seats height and expanded the headphones to fit his head. “When you’re ready Kaz.”

Kaz spoke through his own headset. “Just give me a couple minutes to stretch. My arms are a little sore.” Matthias took off the headphones and looked to Nina, she looked up and met his gaze. She watched him flick his eyes toward Jesper.  _ I guess he picked up on it too.  _ Matthias, in attempt to make conversation. “Hey Jesper. You doing okay man?”

Jesper looks up, face akin to a deer in headlights. “What?”

“I asked if you’re doing okay.”

“Uh…. yeah. I’m just fine. Long night is all.” 

“Okay then. Well, if you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask.” 

“Yeah. I, uh… I will.” Matthias caught Nina’s gaze again and pressed his lips together, answering the question that had been gnawing at her since she walked into the studio.  _ Yeah. Something is definitely up.   _

Kaz’s voice cracked over the speaker in the booth, “I’m good to go.” 

Matthias quickly put the headset back on, once again adjusting it to fit his head. “Recording in 1…. 2, 1, 2, ready, go.” 

As he hit  record, a previous recording of Jesper on his guitar, along with the backgrounds that Matthias had recorded a few days prior began to play. The song they’d been working on was a slow one. More of a ballad than a slow jam, with a slight increase in tempo and a little addition of excitement leading up to and continuing through choruses. 

Overall, the only thing they really had to work on was vocals and that was between Nina and Inej and it required hours of sitting in the lounge of The White Rose coffee shop in West Stave. Along with time, it required schedule alignments. Nina worked at The White Rose as a barista and Inej, thank Ghezen, had finally quit performing with the Menagerie Performance Company, after a money dispute. She’d had expenses piling up for months because of costumes, fees, even her rent, so Kaz called in a few favors and even paid off most of them himself.

Nina worried her bottom lip. She hoped that Wylan was okay. She new things weren’t the best between him, Kuwei, and Jesper. If neither Wylan or Kuwei were present then Jesper knew why, or at least had an idea of why. Something was definitely off here and Nina was determined to find out what that something was. 

The movement of Inej’s beautifully tan hand waving in front of her vision made Nina jump back. She must have been spacing out again. Nina hadn’t even realized that Kaz had finished his recording. Matthias, speaking with a mix of sarcasm and concern, “Earth to Nina. Hello in there, is anybody home?”

A light blush dusted her cheeks, “Ya I’m here. Just had something on my mind. I’m good now. Play the track.”

Matthias rolled his eyes at Nina’s excuse. This happened way too often, especially when she was worried about something or someone. Matthias tried his best to offer a comforting smile to her. Nina shook her head, he always looked more like a bear than a man who loved chick flicks when he tried to be reassuring. Matthias, after adjusting a few things on the soundboard, pressed play. Clearing any lingering thoughts in her mind, she focused on the rhythm of the music and how her lyrics might fit in. She was going to be working on this song for a while. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Guys! I know it's been a while but we have been working hard on this chapter. This is the second longest chapter we have written, Wylan's being the longest. This chapter was mostly written by Yeti because college English homework is a pain it the butt and takes forever. I hope you guys enjoy and don't forget to comment! It makes our day and improves our writing! See you guys!


	6. Matthias

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which a giant was in a baby chair then goes to a cafe.

Matthias took the headphones off and set them on the hook next to his knee. The sound booth set up was too small for him, due to his stature, and his knees barely squeezed under the desks small frame. The chair he sat on felt like one of the little babe chairs in preschools, and the soundboard on the desk looked child sized for his bear paws. 

“Why is everything in this sound booth miniature sized?” Matthias asked to no one in particular. 

“Well nobody’s as large as you, Bruce Banner.” 

Nina’s immediate snide comment slid off Matthias like water on rocks. He was used to them by now, besides he knew she only acted that way because she was worried about the Wylan, Jesper, Kuwei love triangle thing that was happening. To be fair, he too was worried. Wylan was basically everyone’s son. He was the one that everyone stood up for, except Kuwei of course.

Looking up at the digital clock on the wall, it read 11:37. Doing a double-take, he briefly forgot that they’d arrived two hours late that morning. Once again, Kaz’s voice echoed over the loudspeaker, “Alright, break time. Go eat lunch or whatever.” Inej got up from the couch and left the soundbooth, and Nina followed. Lingering at the door, she tapped Matthias on the shoulder. 

She leaned in and whispered into his ear. “See if you can get Jesper to talk about what happened.” Matthias raised an eyebrow, questioning her logic. 

She rolled her eyes “Just talk to him. Something happened and our Jesper is not sitting on that couch.” 

Matthias braved a glance toward the couch. Jesper was slumped against the back, his eyes cast down, chin practically touching his chest. His button down, normally tucked into extravagant pants, was out, pooling around the waist of a pair of lackluster royal blue slacks. Jesper normally looked put together, yet still remaining casual, today, he looked anything but. He turned around, ready to reply to Nina’s request only to find that she had already left the booth. Matthias scratched the back of his head and sighed. Dislodging from the seat, he walked over to Jesper and shook his soldier, breaking him from his daze. “Hey Jesper. You still alive?”

Jesper stared at him for a few seconds before replying. “Yeah. I’m here. Just tired is all.” 

Matthias gave him a questioning look. “You and I both know that tiredness is not all this is.” 

Jesper clammed up, eyes going wide in surprise at the deduction. He averted his gaze, guilt painted across his face.  _ Dammit. That not the response I expected.  _  “I’m not going to start making assumptions. Nina and I can tell something has happened. You don’t have to give me the full story. It just seems like you might need to get something off your chest.” 

“Not here,” Jesper mumbled. “Can we go talk somewhere else?” 

Matthias nodded. “Let’s go to the cafe. You look like you could use a pick-me-up.” Jesper let out a small laugh and rubbed at his face.

“Is it that obvious?”

“Just a little.” Matthias grinned. He stood and walked over to the sound equipment, turning off accessories and locked the door behind them as they made their way down to the cafe. Matthias causally tucked his bear paws into his jean pocket, trying to give off a calming vibe. Jesper was one that easily picked up on the feelings of a person or room. It was like some kind of black magic. 

While they walked, Matthias could tell that Jesper was slowly but surely relaxing. It started in his shoulders as they moved from the tense rigidness to a more natural relaxed hanging position, swinging by his side as he walked. It moved down to his hands that were originally clenching and unclenching into fists to finally let his hands dangle by his side for a minute before slipping them into his back pockets. 

The cafe was only a little walk away from the studio, but they were both thankful for the heat once they got indoors, the cold october wind no longer biting through their jackets. As they walked into the tiny shop, they were hit with a wall of delicious smells that wafted from the kitchen towards the back of the shop. The smells of freshly roasted coffee beans, assorted baked goods, and different tea flavors traveled to their noses, down their throats, and landed in their empty stomachs. In the rush to get to the studio, Matthias had forgotten to eat something. A loud growl emerged from his gut, and rumbled the air around him.

Jesper smiled. “You sure this wasn’t just a ploy to get you some food?”   


“No. I do legitimately want to talk. If I get lunch in the process, that is just a bonus.”

Jesper walked up to the counter and began to order. Matthias brought a hand up to stop Jesper from reaching for his wallet. “My treat.”

“You don’t have too.” 

“Please. Just order whatever and I’ll cover it. Besides I get a discount.”

“Oh right. Nina works here.” Matthias smiled and brought out his wallet. Jesper looked from Matthias and then toward the barista at the register. “I’ll take a cappuccino and a pesto and tomato sandwich, please.” Jesper walked toward a table near the front window and sat down. Seeing it was his turn to order, he turned to the barista. “Let’s see. How about a hot apple cider, and a bowl of the chicken soup?” 

The barista smiled. “Sure, Matthias. We’ll bring it out to you.”    


“Thanks Cora.” Matthias paid for the food and walked over to Jesper and sat down across from him. Jesper sat quietly, looking out the window. Matthias cleared his throat in an attempt to make conversation. 

Jesper looked at him and sighed. “I’m really not getting out of this, am I?” 

“You can take your time. We can wait until you get your food. We’ve got time.” 

“And what, get Kaz mad at us for being late?” 

“If it helps you feel better, than yes. That’s what’s gonna happen.” 

Jesper shook his head. He sighed again. “I’d like to wait until the food comes.” Matthias nodded in agreement. After a few minutes of silence, one of the barista’s came by, wielding a tray with their orders on it. 

“I have a cappuccino, apple cider, a pesto and tomato sandwich, and a bowl of chicken soup.” Matthias moved to intercept the barista, helping her set the hot food onto the table. “Thanks for the help Matthias.”

“It’s no problem.”

“Enjoy your food.” The barista walked away, tray tucked under her arm. Jesper immediately began to eat in an attempt to postpone the conversation. Matthias sat and sipped his cider, allowing his soup to cool. Matthias could see that Jesper was uncomfortable as he started to squirm in his seat. Jesper fiddled with the buttons on his shirt, biting his lip. He let out a breath and began to tell Matthias everything. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! We wrote this chapter way quicker then some of our other ones. This is the calm before the storm. Dun dun dun! Don't forget to comment to make our work better. We're so happy that we can write this for your enjoyment! Bye!


	7. Jesper

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which self loathing and angst ensue. Sorry not sorry.

Matthias sat in silence, watching Jesper’s expressions and letting him talk. Every once in a while he would go from sipping his cider, to taking a bite from his soup. He didn’t want to seem rude and disturb Jesper in his story. 

“Wylan came to me while I was in the soundbooth. I guessed he may have found out that I’d cleaned up the booth. I mean, he left it a mess two days ago. I didn’t know why. I was trying to be there for him.” Jesper paused, guilt and disappointment creeping across his face. It wasn’t a sight that Matthias was used too nor that he wanted to see. “I’m such an idiot. I was a dense fool, Matthias.” Matthias, with considerable effort, remained silent and kept himself from trying to interrupt and tell him different. 

Jesper continued. “He thanked me for cleaning up the booth for him, and he said that he was sorry for being a burden and for making me feel like I had to clean up the booth.” Jesper paused again and took a deep breath. “He looked like hell. His hair was a mess, well, more than usual, and his eyes were puffy and red.” There was a slight tremble to his voice. “I should have paid more attention and I should have tried to stop Kuwei.” He took a sip of his cappuccino and looked out the window, contemplating what he should say next. “I asked him why the booth had been a mess and he looked at me like I was crazy.” 

******************************

Jesper sat on a stool, staring up at Wylan. He wanted to hide. Wylan looked so disappointed. Most of all, Wylan looked hurt and he didn’t like the sight in front of him. He looked like he was in pain. 

“I was,” Wylan paused. “I was angry.”

“What were you angry at?”

“Myself.”

“Yourself? You were so mad at yourself that you wrecked the booth?”

“I was angry at myself. I was angry at Kuwei. I was angry about the band.” Wylan paused. “I was angry with you.”

Jesper froze. That wasn’t what he was expecting. Sheepishly, he asked, “What did I do to make you so angry with me?”

In that moment, Wylan did two things in rapid succession. First, his face paled and his eyes blew wide in astonishment, and in the next second, his facial expression reverted from quiet dejection to exasperated anger. All composure that Wylan had been struggling to maintain evaporated. “You stood by! You let Kuwei use me like a punching bag! You just stood there. You knew Kuwei was looking for someone to erupt on and you let it happen.” Wylan was crying now. He took a breathe to try and steady himself and in a low whisper he said, “You didn’t care.” 

Jesper scolded himself. He sank into his chair. “I,” he took a deep breath. “I’m sorry for what Kuwei did.” 

“That’s not good enough. Don’t apologize for him.” Wylan turned to leave. Jesper didn’t know what possessed him, but he jumped up and ran after Wylan, catching his arm. 

Wylan tried to break out of his grip but Jesper held fast. “Wylan, wait.”

“Let go of me Jesper. Right now.” Wylan’s voice trembled. Tears were welling at the corners of those delicate blue eyes.

Though the sight of the little red head in front of him made Jesper want to let go, he held on tight against the pulling and protesting, “No. I won’t. We aren’t done yet.”

By this time giant tears streaked down freckled cheeks as Wylan continued to try and pull away, “Let go! I don’t have anything else to say, so let me go!” 

Jesper let go of his arm and hugged him, holding Wylan tight against his chest. “I’m sorry, Wylan. For everything. For not saying anything. And for not being there for you like I should’ve been.” Jesper looked down at Wylan’s face, tears flowing freely now. Wylan shifted in Jesper's arms, his sobs vibrating through his chest. 

The scene broke Jespers heart even more. He could feel the tears starting to soak through his shirt but he didn’t care. All that mattered was that Wylan knew he was there now and he wasn’t gonna let him go, not now or ever. 

Slowly but surely Wylan’s breathing started to slow down and his sobs started to dissipate. Jesper sighed in relief and opened his mouth to say,  _ Everything’s ok now. There’s no need to worry,  _ but before one word was uttered the door was kicked open so hard that it almost flew off its hinges.

Kuwei stood in the doorway, his body backlit by the hallway lights. His face was livid and his eyes were filled with the fires of hell. Both Jesper and Wylan shrank back in fear of what was going to happen next. 

Kuwei stomped forward. His steps echoed through the hall and the tiny booth like a war-drum. “You little shit!” 

Wylan started to back into the furthest corner from the door, trying to create as much distance as possible from Kuwei. Jesper tried to step in between the two, but was pushed aside with a stern, “Outta my way!” Jesper tried to take hold of Kuwei’s arm to stop him but his hand was swatted away. 

“Who do you think you are? Do you think that you can just cry like a child and steal my man?!”

“Kuwei stop. This isn’t right.” Jesper tried to pull him back but Kuwei already had a grip on Wylan’s shirt. His arm pulled back and was gearing up to punch Wylan but with Jespers quick thinking and reflexes, snaked his arm under both of Kuwei’s and forcefully yanked him back and off of Wylan. Spinning, Jepser put Kuwei back by the door and pinned the flailing arms to his sides. 

“Let go of me Jesper. Now. This little-”

“Shut up!” Jesper’s voice cut through whatever he’d been about to say. Kuwei continued to thrash in his arms. He managed to get one arm free and swung an elbow at Jesper. It caught him in the cheek, pain flaming across his face. He let go of Kuwei and stepped back. Kuwei dashed over to Wylan, once again trying to take a swing at him. Jesper rushed over, tripping over his aux cord. He fell on top of Kuwei, who kicked him off and rushed to get up. “Wylan, go!”

Wylan, in a rush to get out of the practice room, didn’t notice Kaz’s frame blocking the doorway. “What the fuck is happening in here?” Jesper and Kuwei froze and Kaz caught Wylan with his arm, stopping all motion. Kaz turned Wylan to look at him and surveyed his face. After a few seconds he turned toward the pair on the floor and scowled. “Both of you, get up. Wylan, you can leave. I’ll call you later.” Kuwei untangled himself from underneath Jesper and went to leave. Kaz brought his cane up and blocked him. “My office. Now.” Kaz scowled at Kuwei and his gaze turned to Jesper, emotions clouded. “You too, Jes.” Jesper heard Kuwei swear under his breath before he left and went toward the stairs to Kaz’s office. The stare that Kaz was fixing him with filled him with shame. He wanted nothing more than to hide from that gaze. Jesper looked down the hallway to see Wylan walk out the door, bag on his shoulder, without even a glance in his direction.

***************************

The cup in Jesper’s hand slipped and bounced off the table. He watched Matthias flail to try and catch it, only to come up short and watch the mug shatter on the floor, espresso and milk splashing across the floor. Cora rushed over with a towel, frantically trying to clean it all up before it ruined the wood flooring. Matthias knelt down to help her and wiped the floor with a plethora of napkins. Jesper, broken from his daze when Matthias snapped his fingers an inch from his nose, flicked his gaze to the barista. 

“I,” he stammered. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to drop it. I just-”

Cora rested a hand on his shoulder. “It’s fine honey. Believe me. This happens all the time. We just have to make sure we clean it up quickly.” 

Jesper just stared at her. He needed to leave. His anxiety was spiking and his hands were shaking. “I need to leave.” 

Matthias nodded and he watched him turn to the barista, exchanging a few quick words that he couldn’t hear. Matthias opened his wallet and left a tip on the table before grabbing Jesper’s arm and helping him stand up. He helped him into his coat and they left the coffee shop, Jesper allowing himself to be led by the grip on his shoulder, and the supportive hand on his back to who knows where. His stomach was doing somersaults and he was afraid that he might throw up everything he had eaten. They walked block after block, eventually coming to familiar building that Jesper recognized as the Slat.  _ No. Not here. I can’t face Wylan. What if he-  _ His thoughts were abruptly cut short by his rebelling stomach. He heard Matthias swear behind him as he spun and threw up into the bushes in front of the building. He continued to retch, even if there was nothing left in his stomach to bring up. 

Matthias spun circles into his back. “Need me to hold your hair back?” 

Jesper stopped dry heaving and stood up. “Very funny.”

“Let’s get you inside. A shower and some rest will do you some good.” Jesper let himself be led to the elevator, grateful that Matthias wasn’t going to make him brave the stairs. He was shivering and his legs felt like they were putty. When the elevator reached the fifth floor, they got off and went to Jesper’s apartment. He didn’t know how Matthias knew where he lived, and at this point he didn’t care. Matthias took the key from the carabiner in the pocket of Jesper’s coat and brought him inside. Matthias left Jesper on the couch and went to the bathroom. He could hear Matthias turn on the shower, and a couple minutes later, a thin veil of steam was coming out from under the door. 

Matthias returned to the main area and looped his arm under Jesper. “Let’s go Jes.” He brought him to the bathroom and let him sit on the toilet. “I’m going to give you some privacy. Take as much time as you need. I’ll be in the living room if you need anything. Just yell.” With that Matthias left him alone, his heavy steps disappearing down the short hallway. Jesper undressed and stepped into the shower, allowing the water to run down his back and over his face. He grabs some soap and ran it over himself. Now alone, he gave in and wept, unsure if the stinging in his eyes was from the soap or his tears. 

What was he gonna do? This whole situation seemed helpless and he was still trying to put together the pieces of what had happened. What did Kaz think of him? Oh God, what did  _ Wylan  _ think of him? Jesper’s thoughts continued to swirl at dizzing speeds. He was a mess, a screw up, a coward. This was the beginning of the end. It felt like his whole world was crashing down around him and it was all his fault.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys!  
> Sorry for the terrible update schedule. We basically threw it out the window after the second chapter was being created. We worked really hard on this chapter, and it took us a while to decided what direction we wanted to go with it. Hope you guys enjoyed it and don't forget to help us improve our story with some comments. Until Next Chapter!

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys hope you liked the first chapter. Let us know if we need to fix something. Feedback helps improve the story! Thanks!


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